Paul Craig Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury (Reagan) for Economic Policy and associate editor of the Wall Street Journal. First and last paragraphs of his piece on Ukraine (on Google he provides also the chronology of the looting via IMF similar to Hungary):

“It is now apparent that the “Maiden protests” in Kiev were in actuality a Washington organized coup against the elected democratic government. The purpose of the coup is to put NATO military bases on Ukraine’s border with Russia and to impose an IMF austerity program that serves as cover for Western financial interests to loot the country. The sincere idealistic protesters who took to the streets without being paid were the gullible dupes of the plot to destroy their country.”
“One final word. Despite unequivocal evidence of one country after another being looted by the West, governments of indebted countries continue to sign up for IMF programs. Why do governments of countries continue to agree to the foreign looting of their populations? The only answer is that they are paid. The corruption that is descending upon Ukraine will make the former regime look honest.”

Ah, that is step no. 2! Restructuring and default. You see, back in 1998, when Russia defaulted, I admired the guts of Boris Yeltsin. Russia was being bled dry by people inside and outside. Can't pay. Won't pay. I go back to the 90's because we the West should not be in this position of dealing with former KGB agents who have been taught by the West that straight-shooters get shafted.

Noone can explain to me why such a fabulously wealthy country like Russia should have been going with a begging bowl to the IMF and why the Yeltsin government so humiliatingly treated, that it could not cover its operating costs.

I can only assume that the object was to weaken and exploit Russia. Many Russian oligarchs were enriched but,if you do a bit of research, its interesting how many fortunes in the West were bolstered by looted assets. This being the Economist, I am sure they have a comprehensive list of those Western oligarchs.
The Russia connection.

Now, Ukraine is in a similiar position to Russia in 1998. The question is, will the West arrange so that Ukraine only hope becomes a hardline, conservative, nationalist, security faction. We will see.

You are right about Russian aggressive policy consolidating the Ukrainian people, and making it much more difficult for whoever takes over the Kremlin after Putin.

Putin's strategy is short term, territorial conquests (Crimea, before that Abkhasia, South Ossetia) may have added to his recent popularity in Moscow but certainly have complicated Russia's long term perspectives worldwide. Can't Putin see where does it lead Russia say twenty or thirty years ahead ?

When added to Putin's conquests of Chechnia and Dagestan after more than a decade of very costly anti-Russian insurgency, both Abkhasia and South Ossetia remain nothing but a joke on Russia's record.
Now Crimea's takeover, against a strong condemnation by the international community, has only added to Putin's miserable record as a statesman.
Putin is walking down the same tricky historical road that Adolf Hitler had in his 'career'. We all know the consequences.

What's next ? A People's Republic of Donetsk under a 'Peoples' governor' appointed by Putin ?
Another version of the REICHSKOMMISSARIAT UKRAINE, most likely under the name already announced by Putin in his press conference: "Malorossiya" - 'Matushka radnaya' !

Is that why Putin has his eyes on the Odessa region to secure a territorial link to Transnistria, a small enclave bordering Ukraine but occupied by Russian troops ? And what will come after ? Putin trying to 'unite' some Southern Slavs ? Like Serbians ?

A lot depends on the Wests actions and responsibilities. Hardline Cold-Warriors and rapacious corporations have ensured that Mr. Putin who would have been an able Minister of Intelligence in a civilian government is now by popular acclaim defacto Tsar for life of Russia. He has approval from Russians. Thats what we can't gloss over. Even though, for instance, he has hardly dented the domestic crime statistics. We in the West failed to show Russians the benefit of democracy.

Putin is going to hardly budge at all. He doesn't have to. He is betting on chaos and suffering. Its the West that has to be proactive in a positive economic and political way.
Remember Serbia wants to join the EU.

Bush's 8 years in power gave Putin cover. One hardline conservative assisting another. Eight lost years. No matter how hard Putin tries, he cannot make an enemy of the Obama administration. They don't provide "strongmen" with cover. Remember Bush and Georgia.

Didomyk,
Great synopsis on Russia and where it goes. It does not clear only where Ukraine goes. The EU and U.S. seem not to be ready to aid the country that goes nowhere. Is it possible to hold elections in the country where practically the civil war began? But of course with Washington patronage Ukraine will have the most democratic elections ever. The new president Mr Porosheko has already been chosen and approved by superiors in D.C. The bookmakers are betting 1:100 on Poroshenko. Stake on!
Didomyk, your comments on censorship on internet in Russia are ridiculous. You’d better explain why Turchinov banned Russian TV channels in Ukraine. In Russia I can easily sign up for any Ukrainian channel. The other day I was watching Savik Shuster. He looks clumsy with his arguments.

The Kremlin is making out east Ukraine pines for unification with mother Russia.
In fact, what leaps to the eye in east Ukraine is the evident LACK of any mass movement. Nothing remotely like what the world saw on the Kiev Majdan month after month in fall and winter. Ukrainian patriots in Kiev demonstrated in hundreds of thousands, in December they peaked to a million.
Now it's pleasantly warm, no freezing temperatures.
Yet none turn up except Russian specnaz and a few hundred here and there.
Despite Russian TV treating east Ukraine to hard-hitting propaganda around the clock.

Maidan was (also) a permanent political rally, Donetsk (Lugansk, Kharkiv, take your pick) is not. Its ordinary life (between an "antiterroristic operation" and the next) and some pickets here and there at the government (occupied) offices. Don't compare apples and oranges...

The Kremlin is making out east Ukraine pines for unification with mother Russia.
In fact, what leaps to the eye in east Ukraine is the evident LACK of any mass movement. Nothing remotely like what the world saw on the Kiev Majdan month after month in fall and winter. Ukrainian patriots in Kiev demonstrated in hundreds of thousands, in December they peaked to a million.
Now it's pleasantly warm, no freezing temperatures.
Yet none turn up except Russian specnaz and a few hundred here and there.
Despite Russian TV treating east Ukraine to hard-hitting propaganda around the clock.

"Ukrainian patriots in Kiev demonstrated in hundreds of thousands, in December they peaked to a million."

"Nothing remotely like what the world saw on the Kiev Maidan month after month in fall and winter"

Who did the counting?

The world saw in Maidan what their respective governments and their biased media wanted you to see

Bending the truth, making wild exaggerations, disparaging or covering facts if they are not in your favor are so pervasive that your assumptions are rendered useless immediately on your posting it. Don't trust the obvious. The first casualty of war is the truth. Especially if it's a propaganda war.

I used to have the sickening feeling now and then when I watched the news or looked in printed media. That was because of usually senseless propaganda.
Now the feeling is almost permanently there. AT least every time Russia or Ukraine is mentioned one can be sure that a flow or misinformation is about to start.
I could not stand it back then when Soviet Union was a big brother that 'protected' us. Now it is not much different only subject changed.
I wonder now if people (like me and others too) that try to see the facts in such situation are not traitors or at least Putin's agents and should be sent to a re-socialization camp. I am sure if the Guantanamo is not big enough we can re-use the old facilities in Germany or build new ones in US. Come to think of it that would be appreciated add-on profit for prison industry in US I guess.

"But meanwhile in Kiev Joe Biden, the American vice president, pledged
support and $58m of aid to the Ukrainian government, while Sergei Lavrov, the
Russian foreign minister, ramped up the rhetoric against it."

Very generous. Compare this to Russia's pledge of 15bn, before thugs have
illegally deposed freely elected President.

"Mr Biden accused Russia of “provocative behaviour” and of directly
supporting the anti-Ukrainian insurrection in the east of the country. He
demanded that Russia “stop talking and start acting” to end the crisis."

He can demand whatever he wants. First, should pull out NATO troops from
Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kosovo (oh yes, close the Bondsteel base), Iraq, you
name it... before he dares to 'demand' anything.

"On April 17th the United States, Russia, the European Union and Ukraine
signed an agreement in Geneva, Switzerland, aimed at defusing the crisis
which has brought the country to the brink of war. The document rather
optimistically foresaw the disarmament of all illegal armed groups and the
evacuation of all illegally occupied buildings in exchange for an amnesty."

I suppose this also refers to illegally occupied buildings in Kiev.

"The agreement was dismissed by Denis Pushilin, the head of the
self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, who said that the new government
in Kiev was illegal and hence had to move out of government buildings in the
capital first."

Rightfully so, as indeed the 'government' is in Kiev is illegal.

"The Right Sector denied any involvement and many Ukrainians believe the
whole event, including the deaths of the locals, was staged in order to give
Vyacheslav Ponomarev, Sloviansk’s rebel head, an excuse to appeal to
Russian president Vladimir Putin to send soldiers. This he duly did. Mr
Lavrov has since condemned the government in Kiev for the shootings, adding
that “all signs show that Kiev can’t, and maybe doesn’t want to control
the extremists who continue to call the shots.”"

You did not have a problem with the same strategy applied at the time by
Kosovo Albanians. And NATO was quick to help them. Why are you complaining
now? Crybaby Biden.

"On April 22nd, Mr Pushilin announced that in the referendum which he
proposes for May 11th the question will be: “Do you support the sovereignty
of the Donetsk Republic?” He added that only later would a decision be
taken on joining any “other country.” A similar referendum is planned by
rebels in neighbouring Luhansk."

Perfect! The free will of people as expressed by referendum is to be
respected. Like this was the case with Kosovo Albanians.

LOL.

"What remains to be seen is whether the rebels in the occupied buildings
throughout eastern Ukraine have any capacity to deliver a referendum.
Election officials, even in the east, are still preparing for Ukraine’s
presidential election on May 25th. But as far as Vladimir Makovich, the
spokesman of the Donetsk Republic, is concerned, there will be no
presidential elections in Donetsk."

I am sure organizing referendum there will be a piece of cake.
Like Albanians did in Kosovo in 1991, with no support from the outside.

LOL.

"However, three separate, recent opinion polls in the south and east of
Ukraine have shown that at least 60% of people are in favour of the current
territorial status quo. Ihor Todorov, a Donetsk university professor who
supports Ukrainian unity, says these people are the silent and often
frightened majority and that without Russian meddling “we could find a
compromise”."

Hahaha polls run by Kiev thugs?

LOL.

"Time is running out though. In Sloviansk, at the funeral of the three men
killed in the Easter Sunday shooting one man, armed just with Kalashnikov
ammunition clips said: “They died for our freedom and our future in great
Russia.” Another: “Rest assured we will have our revenge for this. We
will have it for sure.” A few hours later came reports of a Ukrainian
reconnaissance plane damaged by gunfire above the town and the murder of two
men nearby. ""

But here's the point: you clearly CONDEMN the US for doing similar things. Now, if your argument implies that Russia is doing the same, why don't you condemn Russia? If it's the same thing, if both things are clearly against international law, then shouldn't Russia be criticized, too?

You imply the West is being hypocritical. Since you claim parallelism between these situations (Ukraine, Kosovo, Iraq...), how can you do that without at the same time implying that Russia (and yourself...) are being hypocritical?

Didomyk,
What sort of invasion you are talking about. Ukraine just gets to its original size. You were not that grateful of communist regime that supplied Ukraine with Lvov region in 1939 and Crimea in the 50s. Feels like Lvov will go back to Poland. Your new masters from Washington are working in that direction. Back to old good names. Zaporozhskaya Sech. Modern tuft haircuts are back in fashion. You like halyava. Gas halyava, Americans give you halyava money to buy uniforms for Ukraine’s army. Is there a Ukrainian army? Nuland gives away bulochki (rolls) in Kiev. I wonder why she has not come yet with bulochki aid to Donetsk or Lugansk. Have you watched how Ukrainian army attacked one checkpoint in the East and stole food and medicine? Looting. Obama spared $52 million not to loot. Didomyk, nothing to brag about.

A point: if a situation is marked by disagreements between groups in a single country, it's meaningless to think of the country as a single thing. In this situation it only means that group A is somewhat larger than group B.

In other situations it's even worse. For instance: leaving aside its other deffects for the moment, is it meaningful to say that the Crimean referendum was against Ukrainian Constitution? Since you mentioned China, a similar argument against the independence of Tibet (it'd be against Chinese law!) would carry equally small weight.

In short: "Ukraine" doesn't think or want anything. "Ukrainians" do, but they don't think and want the same things, and that's the whole point of why the problem exists in the first place.

Agree! Moreover, they don’t want to be with the other group, they are not seeing each other eye to eye! It was a well known fact that some would like to go with the EU (by all means) while others would have preferred to side with Russia (in any case). So, after the change of government at Kiev, the new government should have done some environment building to allow the situation to normalize, and then with a referendum would taken a call on joining or not joining the EU. This would have given a sense of being ‘heard’ to all the citizens.

Language

Language, is a sensitive issue, even UN recognises protecting different languages; and promotes schooling in the mother tongue to a certain age. Along with such notions, the haste shown by the interim government to amend the Language Laws of Ukraine to make Ukrainian the only official language created a sense of fear in the Russian speaking areas. Only one language means all official work needs to be accomplished in that language alone, this would have led to loss of government jobs in the East. The government there should have celebrated the plurality as in Canada. Unfortunately, the interim government did not do this, so now, the situation is clear, the country is divided socially and mentally forever, if not politically. Probably this is a fixed match where both USA and Russia know what is going to happen finally, but not saying that for now, probably they are showing to their electorates how hard they are working on this.

You make some good points but a hindsight is always easier. There are a couple of points I don't agree with: a) for outsiders unfamiliar with the situation on the ground, the issue may be jobs (as
you said it). The reality is Russian aversion to linguistic EQUALITY given that for generations the official perception was of Russian linguistic cultural superiority. One needs to understand that deeply rooted feelings are at stake on both sides.

b) you reference to 'celebrated plurality' in Canada is not supported by facts. Well known long standing disputes about Quebec language restrictions limiting English in schools, commerce, signs, local courts, etc. Official bilingualism is in effect on the federal level but otherwise its iffy after many decades. And, keep in mind, there is CONTINUING EXTERNAL interference in linguistic matters in Ukraine, but not in Canada.

You pose a question: "is it meaningful to say that the Crimean referendum was against Ukrainian Constitution?"

If one follows that kind of 'logic' it should be just as legal to arrange or a referendum on the separation of Chechnia, or Tatarstan, or even the Kaliningrad oblast. Indeed, Tibetans may decide to do it too.
Surely in a civilised world, and with the UN Charter for overall guidance, foreign countries are not permitted to arrange any referendum on any subject in FOREIGN lands. That applies to RUSSIA !

To repeat, Russia was and remains bound by the UN Charter and by all other multilateral treaties that REQUIRE all signatory states to respect territorial integrity. Russia cannot SELECTIVELY violate treaties and bend its obligations because...well, because Russia wants to have it all !

Let's have Putin first withdraw Russia from the UN, from OSCE, from nuclear non-proliferation treaties, from all conventions governing maritime rights, etc. etc.
Then Russia will have to face the consequences of 'might is right'. Russia, as a federal state, would cease to exist.

> In Sloviansk, at the funeral of the three men killed in the Easter Sunday shooting one man, armed just with Kalashnikov ammunition clips said: “They died for our freedom and our future in great Russia.”

It seems like the same goes for the Ukrainians:
-you probably remember the Heavenly Hundred.
-most Ukrainians in the western and to a lesser extent central regions of Ukraine share intense hatred towards Russia and,perhaps, some other ethnic groups inside their country.
Most likely it's due to the fact that they share the same genetic makeup with the Russians. I'm afraid pretty soon we're going to see yet another Maidan in Brussels when IMF austerity measures start to bite.

I'm afraid pretty soon we're going to see yet another Maidan in Brussels when IMF austerity measures start to bite.
-
I'm afraid about it too...
And in this situation, someone comes up and say "buy more (American) weapon, buy more (American) shale gas, renounce to business (export, money) with evil Russians, give money to poor (US-Poland backed) Ukrainians (instead of using it to solve your trivial problems)..."
LOL...such a lack of fantasy, they do not even imagine the answer...

This article poses serious questions on the principles followed by present day generalists. The articles in the Economists follow a single track path and either criticise someone completely or shower only praises for someone.

The balanced approach of informing the reader is being replaced by venting the emotions of the writer. The reader is not having the choice to explore all the view points and then make an informed opinion!

This article is FRAMED in a way that all that West is doing is out of deep concern for freedom and democratic values whereas the other side is totally aiming at sinister deeds only for fun.

Consider the words – ‘ramped up the rhetoric against it’, ‘provocative behaviour’, ‘directly supporting the anti-Ukrainian insurrection’ and ‘stop talking and start acting’. You can see the 4 negative phrases in 2 sentences.

And the article further goes on to describe the protesters as “3 men killed” (not murdered by Kiev, or protester killed by the Ukrainian army); “rest assured we will have our revenge for this” (and not, we will continue to fight for our freedom / their sacrifice will not go waist / our struggle will be intensified). And see this one in the same paragraph “Ukraine reconnaissance plane damaged by gunfire above the town and the murder of two men” (and not plane hit by bullets AND not that 2 men were killed NOW you read murder whereas when the ethnic Russians died the choice of word was “killed” and not murdered.

Moreover, the people on the street in March in Kiev were “protesters” and in East of Ukraine are “rebels” and “separatist” and not “citizens protesting”.

For "unbiased articles", why don't you bugger off to RT website, and let Economist journalists do their job as they see fit? I know it must be tough for you to not see the Russian propaganda all over the internet, but try to understand that freedom of speech is one value that the West is unlikely to give up in the foreseeable future.

The two above comments are very weird.
yevgor's seem to assume it's only Possible to take one side or the other, and, further, that between those two only the Western/Maidan side is free speech.
Didomyk's is less weird, but the error is too common. It should be obvious that this is how one side sees the problem, but not the other side. The other side sees a coup-like deposition of an elected government by an unelected movement (also things about neonazis, foreign interests and anti-Russian measures), now followed by a defense against the illegitimate new government/secession from a hostile and illegitimate state.
As far as I can tell, both sides are failing horribly at correctly portraying and understanding the other's position.
guest-sejsjme seems to want a less partisan coverage, and I would really like that as well. Obviously not a reversal to Russian propaganda, which would be even dumber.

Anyways, i was talking about the capability of analysing an issue from different dimensions; and then if one wishes to write-off one side, then, doing so on factual basis. What is happening here is the 'truth' is being decided first (originating from interest of the West) and then there are ways devised to reach to that pre-decided truth. Unfortunately these devised ways are mostly shortcuts as reflected int eh article, example - 3 men killed (by Ukraine, army/militia, article is silent) and 2 men murdered (by civilians/protesters but the article chooses to hint at ‘rebels’).

Thankfully, I have access to almost all the channels, I wish I knew all these languages too. There was a time when reporting was done without any bias and prejudice but now the temperament is clear, it ignites the sentiments of people like you, who follow the 'self-interest' path instead of the 'right' path. Please do not doubt the capability of The Economist to present an unbiased article, which aims at the truth, which in this case covers the feasibility of the decision in the best interest of the people of Ukraine, and not you or me. Agreed?

I read - to see what details one is providing and how the writer has contextualised the ‘takes’ she/he is taking, and not to read what I already know that I want to hear!

I am not sure, since when you are following the developments in Ukraine? If you observe the voting pattern for last few election you will find that the people in Kiev vote for the 'right to the centre' parties and people in East vote for 'left to the centre' parties. It was an open secret that the country will get divided should they opt to go with the EU. But then too they did; remember there is no nationwide referendum to join EU, as yet.

If the people of the West of the country were capable to protest (against an elected government) for what they thought was right then why do you doubt that the ability of the people of the same country who live in the East to protest (that too against and interim government), you presume that they can’t even take a single step without the backing of some other country? This is the outcome of reading/following 'single tack' articles that too in the modern era of iphones! This is hampering the nurturing of epistemology in the news circle and is a big loss for readers like you!

You have pointed out the same concern! My argument was not against any particular cause rather it was on the framing of the issue, which i found to be polluted. Following RT, won’t be a bad idea, at times it too follows the same line as this article but there are positive exceptions too when the reporting is much balanced. However, I have seen that the tonality of BBC has changed to be a bit neutral in last few weeks, earlier it too was busy maligning one party but defending the other, over the same conducts.

Putin and his Russian slaves - lovers of his dictatorship - have taken the Ruin Road .

They have already invaded and theft Crimea plus some parts of Eastern Ukraine.

Please let them go further and further because one thing is sure they are only 110 Millions of Ethnic Russians and there is no way they could control a country of 46 millions whose the great majority will fight against their occupation. It is an announced disaster for Russians.

Plus this majority of Ukrainians has a lot of powerful foreign allies who will make Russia to pay very hard. When this Russia has no powerful ally who will be ready to act for her.

Please let them go further and further because one thing is sure they are only 110 Millions of Ethnic Russians and there is no way they could control a country of 46 millions whose the great majority will fight against their occupation. It is an announced disaster for Russians.
-
So much "announced" that it will never be. Russians ("ethnic" and not) will simply wait for the nature (lack of gas for too many outstanding debts, shock therapy to obtain money from IMF, already critical economic situation, more-than-in Russia" corruption, etc.) to take its course...

Sure, just let the nature take its course and Putinstan will collapse under the weight of external economic sanctions, internal discontent, and world-wide isolation.
Relying on Russian partners and friends such as Syria, North Korea, Cuba and Abkhasia is likely to be a rocky road to historic nowhere.

Sure, just let the nature take its course and Putinstan will collapse under the weight of external economic sanctions, internal discontent, and world-wide isolation.
-
It's a matter of time. Ucraine will collapse first: either they accept "federalization" (neutralization) in exchange for cheaper gas from Russia, or the brand new Maidan ship will sink like Titanic against all the mentioned icebergs, all together...
And then, why keep on with business-damaging sanctions? "In memoriam"?

Who knows that US will collapse and “the people” whom you call the Red Indians will again gain sovereignty over their land! Don't you remember Vietnam??? Russia is much stronger, and perfectly armed with WMDs, which USA and UK could not find in Iraq despite propagating existence of WMDs in Iraq!

By the way do add the name of Afghanistan in the list of countries that you think will support Russia. Having experienced the ‘help’ of USA and their allies (powerful) for 10 years Afghanistan became the first country of the world to have recognised the reunification of Crimea with Russia. It is reunification as per them and not annexation that the media is calling it, (not sure if this is paid media or what).

Now, some relief - for the ones who live to see the disaster of others (human beings), sad to see such a culture, - with the weak Afghanistan aligning with Russia, USA can take help from the powerful Taliban and the Al-Qaeda, you will need them, research a bit on what happened in Vietnam. Applause from you?

Frankly speaking there is so much debate and sharing on what is happening, what will happen and what should happen, but no one is sure, except for one man i.e. Putin. No, wrong?

This article is blatant propaganda in line with the tune of a "few terrorists from Russia against peaceful people of Donetsk and other areas" spread by Kiev.

Any honest analysis of the situation should start with the CIA role in the Ukraine. What was the CIA chief doing in Kiev? How about allegations about the CIA operations center in the security services buliding in Kiev?

"What was the CIA chief doing in Kiev?"
It's a sure sign who's pulling the strings in Kiev and who payrolls the Washington approved, CIA installed provisional Ukrainian government. There's nothing new under the sun, man. It keeps repeating itself time and again, country after country. "Project Ukraine now" with a view to "Project Russia", and then - the end of history,though it may come about in more than one way.

Looks like Putin is to blame for every fuck-up around the world. I think the only way to de-escalate Economist Putin haters and Neocons in Washington is to put a price on his head and either to assassinate him or to extradite to the US for trial for crimes against Zbigniew Brzezinski's plan to tear Ukraine away from Russia.

I am not sure Britain has the right to scold Russian over Ukraine. Essentially Russia is following Britain's 1920 playbook with respect to Ireland. Foster an imaginary fear of persecution (from Ukrainian right wing, Rome Rule), arm your side to the teeth. Split the country taking the maximum territory you can get away with and watch your neighbour slide into civil war.
Come to think of it, the parallels are even deeper, Russia also imposed a famine on Ukraine in the 1930s, as England did in Ireland in 1840s.

How about bashing the United States for dispossessing its Native Americans not to mention slaves. You can use Amoral "equivalency" nonsense comparisons to excuse anybody of anything and that is in fact what you do in crises after crises. I guess you don't believe in morality or holding anybody to moral standards.

"Moral standard" is that thing in according with wich some guys (clue: "across the atlantic sea...") keep throwing the first stone when they would be not even entitled to throw the second (or the third, or the fourth, or...who knows what...)...

Prior to the creation of the Irish Free State in 1921 the whole of Ireland was administered from Britain. In 1921 the six counties of Northern Ireland exercised their option to remain part of Britain as provided in the Anglo-Irish Treaty.

The was no need for the British "Foster an imaginary fear of persecution" of the Catholics in Ulster it already existed. Attempts to resolve the 'Irish Problem' prior to World War I failed because of Ulster insistence at remaining part of Britain. Indeed the Germans prior to WWI were attempting to arm Protestants in N. Ireland at that time.

Britain did not create the famine in Ireland in the 1840's it was caused by Potato Blight. Britain's response to the problem was inadequate but they did not cause it.

There is no equivalence to what happened in Ireland to what is happening in the Ukraine.

It is you who have the distorted view.
Ireland was not merely "administered", it was colony pure and simple, just as Russia treated Ukraine.
The "six counties" exercised their option, in much the same way as Crimea has done.

Then you say the Irish Famine was a pure natural
catastrophe. Sorry, but that's just so much received BS. When you dispossess a people and force them to into subsistence farming on the worst land you tend to put them at risk of famine. The famine of the 1840s was only the biggest, not first of several famines. Britain's "response" was to follow the doctrine of "Laissez faire".
The British political class of the day believed that aid would foster idleness. But in fact much of the ruling caste were quite happy to see the Irish population reduced in this way.
And by perpetuating the myth that it was all just a fungus, you are agreeing with them. If only they had some other food instead of potatoes. The thing is that they did have other food, but it was all paid in rent. Ireland exported food during the entire period.
It was bogus economics that served a political purpose, just like forced collectivization, though on a smaller scale.

Maybe it is a little unfair of me to compare Russia today with Britain of 1920. But yes the comparison is apt. Now, I don't think Britain of the 1920s is the same as Britain today. But Russia of the 2010s is acting very much like the predatory anti-democratic imperialist power that Britain was.

a) what if some future candidate for president of the Russian Federation called for splitting up the country? Would he be arrested and a criminal case about ‘separatism’ launched?

(b) how would Putin respond to a Buryat desire “to become an independent state and unite with Mongolia given that Buryats and the Mongols are one people, one culture and on religion ? They have been struggling for decades to gain a status for their language.

(c) would Moscow accept the loss of land and part of Baikal? Wouldn't the Buryats be declared separatists and traitors of the people?

(d) how would Putin react if a group of Germans in Kaliningrad were to give Russian citizens German passports assuming approval by the German government and a promise to give residents of the Kaliningrad oblast better pensions, best medical services ? Suppose residents of the Kaliningrad oblast would decide to have a referendum to unite with Germany. ?

Would Moscow consider such people “traitors, terrorists and separatists?” And would it not send the Russian army to intervene?

(e) How would Putin respond if the Chinese were to concentrate their forces along the border with Russia, if some residents on the Russian side said they’d like to unite with China, and if the Chinese were to say they wanted to make the Chinese language the second state language in these areas because so many Chinese are living there? Would these people be traitors?

In 2011, for example, the German defense contractor Rheinmetall signed a $140 million contract to build a combat simulation training center in Mulino, in southwest Russia, that would train 30,000 Russian combat troops per year.

... U.S. officials believe that Germany has been training Russian forces for years.

Rheinmetall defended the project even after the invasion of Crimea,

U.S. government were not happy with Germany's handling of the Russian contract and worry that some of the training may have gone to the kind of special operations forces now operating in and around Ukraine.

**** "It’s unfortunate that German companies were directly supporting and training Russia’s military even during the attacks against Ukraine,” one senior Senate aide told The Daily Beast." *****

some of the German training over the last few years was given to the GRU Spetsnaz, the special operations forces that moved unmarked into Crimea and who can now be found in eastern Ukraine.

They remember the 1922 Treaty of Rapallo and the 1939 Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. It's time that the Baltic states, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Finland and other victims of the 1939 joint German-Soviet aggression and division of Europe bring these facts to Chancellor Merkel's attention and cc'd to the State Department in Washington, DC, as well as the Foreign Office in London, England.

Putin decides what questions can be asked! That has been the Russian way for one thousand not particularly happy nor prosperous years. Putin isn't going to let a "soft" and "decadent" mindset like raising the standard of living for the average Russian to override Venerated ( why the heck are they?) Autocratic Traditions.

You're spot on, though, as far the lack of prosperity and happiness is concerned. This mentality never changes. Russia is a prison of nations as Lenin once described it, but later kept upholding that tradition.

Good questions, but irrelevant. Here is the same set of irrelevant questions for Obama:

a) what if some future candidate for president of the USA called for splitting up the country? Would he be arrested and a criminal case about ‘separatism’ launched?"

b) how would Obama respond to a Hispanos in California desire “to become an independent state and unite with Mexico given that Hispanos and the Mexicans are one people, one culture and on religion ? They have been struggling for decades to gain a status for their language.

(c) would Washington accept the loss of land and part of California? Wouldn't the Hispanos be declared separatists and traitors of the people?

(d) how would Obama react if a group of Hispanos in Florida were to give US citizens Cuban passports assuming approval by the Cuban government and a promise to give residents of Florida better pensions, best medical services ? Suppose residents of Florida would decide to have a referendum to unite with Cuba?

Would Washington consider such people “traitors, terrorists and separatists?” And would it not send the US army to intervene?

(e) How would Obama respond if the Mexicans were to concentrate their forces along the border with US , if some residents on the US side said they’d like to unite with Mexico, and if the Hispanos were to say they wanted to make the Spanish language the second state language in these areas because so many Hispanos are living there? Would these people be traitors?

"Putin decides what questions can be asked! That has been the Russian way for one thousand not particularly happy nor prosperous years. Putin isn't going to let a "soft" and "decadent" mindset like raising the standard of living for the average Russian to override Venerated ( why the heck are they?) Autocratic Traditions."

Really?

I can't quite recall when Obama had five hour question and answer session with public at large.

what if some future candidate for president of the Russian Federation called for splitting up the country? Would he be arrested and a criminal case about ‘separatism’ launched?
-
What presidential candidate would advocate a splitting up of the country he intends to rule? And how many voters would support him?
Be logic, please...

how would Putin respond to a Buryat desire “to become an independent state and unite with Mongolia given that Buryats and the Mongols are one people, one culture and on religion ? They have been struggling for decades to gain a status for their language.
-
Very likely, he would ask the independentists if they are all right. Buriatia is not exactly the richest republic in the asian part of Russia, and even Mongolia is quite hard up, even if it's not so polite to say. Renounce to Moscow's dotation would be not such a sensible move for them...

how would Putin react if a group of Germans in Kaliningrad were to give Russian citizens German passports assuming approval by the German government and a promise to give residents of the Kaliningrad oblast better pensions, best medical services ? Suppose residents of the Kaliningrad oblast would decide to have a referendum to unite with Germany. ?
-
Germans in Kaliningrand distributing german passport to Russians? What purpose, if Kaliningrad is not intended to become german land? There is no need of German passports to visit german, even to find a job in germany. To give a passport is to offer a protection, even more than an easing for such matters as job, pensions and medical service. In South Ossetia and Abkazia russia gave its passports to people who felt menaced by Georgians. Who menaces Kaliningrad's people?

Answer: Brutualy stage the slaughter of some Pro-Russian forces.
Make sure you get photos and biography facts to establish their certifiability to release post incident details to the press.
And a good patriotic photo for hagiography.
Approximately 10-20 victims would do.

Make it messy, splatter a lot of blood everywhere, show signs of torture.
And then plant a CIA recipe manual about revolution, some computer hard drives with emails to Washington, and some M-16 firearms and Playboy magazines at the crime site.

Press teams(mostly Russian but with a few sympathetic odd ball western teams) would be pre-assembled and helicoptered in with all the pre-briefings, meals, and satellite links.
Pre-load Tweets and social media with photos, video, and biographies.

Do it right and the invasion can be scheduled to the day if not the hour.

Perhaps it's time to revise Germany's status as a NATO member state and enforce some embargoes backed by steep penalties. Putler has brought about tons of heavy arguments for NATO's leading members the US and the UK. This has to be halted right in its tracks. NOW!

You din not even end up santioning RUSSIA and you want start santioning GERMANY? And what's the next? GB (for the hospitality to russian capitals)? Italy (1000000 and more russian tourists last year)? What?
Charlie can be everywhere in this jungle...

Oh, boys! Still dreaming about an invasion to repeal heroically and successfully!
They DO NOT NEED to invade Ukraine, get used to the idea! They just sit and wait till Ukraine will fall (righter: "suppuku") by itself! "Shock treatment" to get the money from IMF, high prices for gas, ethnic mess, unchanged corruption (higher than in Russia, 144th to 127th place "transparency international" docet)... Who needs to risk a soldier boy's life? Let the nature takes its course...

"You din not even end up santioning RUSSIA and you want start santioning GERMANY?"

"Americans Will Always Do the Right Thing — After Exhausting All the Alternatives"
(Winston Churchill or Abba Eban, the author's name isn't sure).
FYI, the first US paratroopers are being urgently deployed in Poland and the Baltic states right now

BTW, Russian billions in the UK don't work for Putler in Russia, so there's no need to lose them; it'd be a good idea, though, to pull off British visas of those their owners who contribute to Putler's banditism and sent them together with their wives and children studying in the best British and Swiss boarding schools back to Matushka Rossiya.

FYI, the first US paratroopers are being urgently deployed in Poland and the Baltic states right now
-
Well, they will now soon how much "catholic" polish girls really are. Good luck, boys, I've nothing against you...have a nice stay, and no worry, no showdown in sight...Putin is an SOB, not a fool... relax and enjoy!

"nswer: Brutualy stage the slaughter of some Pro-Russian forces.
Make sure you get photos and biography facts to establish their certifiability to release post incident details to the press.
And a good patriotic photo for hagiography.
Approximately 10-20 victims would do.

Make it messy, splatter a lot of blood everywhere, show signs of torture."

The Račak massacre (Albanian: Masakra e Reçakut, Serbian: Акција Рачак, Akcija Račak, "Operation Račak") was the mass killing of 45 Kosovo Albanians in the village of Račak (Albanian: Reçak) in central Kosovo. The killings were a deliberate massacre of civilians perpetrated by Serbian security forces.[3][4] The order for the massacre may have come from Slobodan Milošević's office.[5] The Serb government refused to let a war crimes prosecutor visit the site,[6] and maintained that the casualties were all members of the rebel Kosovo Liberation Army killed in combat with state security forces.

No business. I'm just trying to look at the bright side of the thing. And since Russia will never attack Kiev, and will pursue its purpose in other ways, totally not military, the possible bedroom activities will be the one possible bright side. For all the rest, the trip of those fine young men will pe pure useless waste of US taxpayer's money...

Read on:
"One month after the lightning annexation, residents of this Black Sea peninsula find themselves living not so much in a different state, Russia, as in a state of perpetual confusion. Declaring the change, they are finding, was far easier than actually carrying it out.

The chaotic transition comes amid evolving tensions in nearby eastern Ukraine, where the possible outcomes include a Crimea-annexation replay.

In Crimea now, few institutions function normally. Most banks are closed. So are land registration offices. Court cases have been postponed indefinitely. Food imports are haphazard. Some foreign companies, like McDonald’s, have shut down.

Other changes are more sinister. “Self-defense units,” with no obvious official mandate, swoop down at train stations and other entry points for sudden inspections. Drug addicts, political activists, gays and even Ukrainian priests — all censured by either the government or the Russian Orthodox Church — are among the most obvious groups fearing life under a far less tolerant government.

In fact, switching countries has brought disarray to virtually all aspects of life. Crimeans find themselves needing new things every day — driver’s licenses and license plates, insurance and prescriptions, passports and school curriculums. The Russians who have flooded in seeking land deals and other opportunities have been equally frustrated by the logistical and bureaucratic roadblocks.

“The radical reconstruction of everything is required, so these problems are multiplying,” said Vladimir P. Kazarin, 66, a philology professor at Taurida National University. (The university’s name, which derives from Greek history, is scheduled to be changed.) “It will take two or three years for all this chaos to be worked out, yet we have to keep on living.”

Further to this: the legal entity, movable property, or real estate registers are not available (Ukrainian ones were blocked and Russian registers are not yet implemented) making it impossible to claim an entity's property or any movable or real property. Of course, reregistration entails property risks that previous owners can always claim this property back. Who would invest???

There are no workable POS systems that would enable to book a hotel, pay at the store, or a gas station. The only liquid currency is nicely asking the seller under a barrel of Kalashnikov or cash, the only 2 ways of civilized exchange. Looking for suicidal bombers to operate a business under these conditions???

PS: Other Crimean business highlights:

- 80% of agricultural land has been lost, a chunk thereof for many years to come. Aksionov has been asking Moscow to invest in building new water desalting facilities and pipelines, but this is, of course, just an excuse for the season lost. Perhaps, Crimea's arrable land turning into a desert within weeks now, was behind a preposterous idea of Putler to turn the currently useless peninsula into the gaming paradise a-la Las Vegas. LOL

- The 2 major industrial corporations and employers at the peninsula have been temporarily lost (major global producer of soda and titanium composites), the owner of which is Mr. Firtash. The latter is widely believed to have been instrumental in it making certain Putler takes Crimea and is currently under arrest in Vienna, Austria, awaiting extradition to the US on the charges of large-scale corruption. Reviving these will not be easy, as supply chains are closely tied to Ukraine's mainland and require real corporate management and processes, something crooks like Aksionov and Konstantinov are simply incapable of.

- Chernomornaftogaz with material reserves of NG and oil available locally was nationalized offered for sale to Gazprom. The valuation thereof made public by Ukraine's Energy Minister Prodan, is equal to $40B. The company is on the US and EU sanctions list.

- Major Ukrainian food and non-food nationwide chain retailers (Fozzy, La Furchette, Intertop, etc.) and retail banks (Privat, Raiffeisen, etc.) have closed shop last month. Needless to say, there are no and will not be any alternatives in the near future.

~ FREEDOM REQUIRES INDEPENDENCE ~
God gave freedom to All-ah-us. Independence helps All-ah-us keep it. Dependency leads to war, slavery, and bandits like yatsinyuck who overthrow legitimate governments to win themselves a throne.
US is helping Ukraine return to independence by helping Russia to carry $2.2 billion of debt Ukraine owes them.
“Imagine where you’d be today if you were able to tell Russia: Keep your gas. It would be a very different world you’d be facing today,” Mr. Biden told Ukrainian legislators. “It takes some difficult decisions, but it’s collectively within your power and the power of Europe and the United States. And we stand ready to assist you in reaching that.”
To maintain life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, ALL nations must supply their own essential resources. Nations can trade luxuries as gifts and offer charity as needed.

Also, not true. This is the immediate gas liability claimed by Russia. We saw the debts declated by Medvedev recently go uo to $11B first, then $16B the next day, then $40B last week, and finally over $100B yesterday with claims that all Ukrainian presidents were stealing money. LOL

On a separate note, wait to see what the figure is tomorrow. These claims also overlook the theft of Ukrainian assets, businesses, and natural resources in Crimea, Crimean shelf (including Chernomornaftogaz), etc. Therfore, the aforesaid is just ludicrous.

"Dependency leads to war, slavery, and bandits like yatsinyuck who overthrow legitimate governments to win themselves a throne.

You're absolutely wrong on this count and I prefer not to polemicise on the others of yours.

The Yatsenyuk government was called by the legally and, to a degree, democratically elected Ukrainian parliament the Verkhovna Rada while acting President Turchynov was appointed by the Rada to act until the May 25 presidential election after the defection of Yanukovych, a criminal thug previously convicted and jailed three times felon who, together with is family and cronies, robbed Ukraine bind and syphoned tens of billions if not over one hundred billion dollars out of the country and hid in secret bank accounts in the West and offshore tax havens.

The truth of the matter is... Donbass is a testing ground for what works and what doesn't for Russia's western territories. How did we come to this?
A few mishaps here and there by the Ukrainian authorities (e.g. antiterrorist operation failure, lack of will of local oligachs to crackdown on separatism and incineration of crowds with the goal to leave the status quo instead, etc.), some expected Putler-backed cooptation of Ukrainian officials (sending to quench the separatists the same 25th mobile brigade from Dnipropetrovsk that had been sent earlier on Feb. 19 to clean-sweep EuroMaidan in Kyiv, etc.), and... the testing ground is in place.
The result is interesting as we see Russians using highly coordinated Special ops to complete a part of the destabilization plan extremely successfully. On the other hand, we see a very disorganized local element, which cannot deliver for the same very reason it was chosen as a target group. It is criminal, dishonest, corrupt, poor, and also lazy, but, most importantly, looks more like lab rats not able to cooperate with each other.
So... Once the Russian covert ops hit the ground, distributed arms, and used the Bolshevik-like agitprop of appealing to the lowest of insticts, this provoked an immediate turmoil... with a fearless competition of entrenched interests and those who felt lost, abandoned, and forgotten. No wonder. But... The exact copycat of the Crimean project... could never work in eastern Ukraine.
The Crimea campaign was over before the aftertaste could be felt. There was euphoria and celebrations before the population even knew what they were up against. Today most Crimeans come to realize the bleak future potential they are facing as part of Russia.
Eastern Ukraine offers a very different perspective. As an increasing body count is reported each day to Putler (not in the news: officially there are no GRU agents on the ground, aka little green men, on the ground), some low-life outcasts are proclaiming themselves governors every day with a few peopple-strong crowd meant to represent millions, one gang is shooting another gang: both asking Putler to come and rescue them from the terror of the Right Sector (a ghost ultraright wing Ukrainian nationalist organization no one has ever seen (similarly to Crimea) for the last 2 months anywhere in the 100-mile radius), etc.

Yes, it seems to further antagonise local population against Russia and alienate "little green people" sent from Moscow. Also the Crimea's trouble cannot be hidden from eastern and southern Ukrainians.

There are also increasingly numerous reports than Governor Kolomoisky's scheme "$10,000 za Moskala" ($10,000 for a Muscovite) started working pretty well and quite a few "little green people" have been already caught and delivered to the Ukrainian authorities who are mum about it so far, what is not stunningly surprising given moral qualities of the "revolutionary" rag-tag crowd ready to sell anything or anyone to the highest bidder. (http://natemat.pl/99221,oligarcha-z-dniepropietrowska-poluje-na-zielone-...)

about 2 dozen separatists were delivered under Kolomoysky's 'wanted dead or alive for $10K apiece' program.

As of today the payout has been confirmed for 8 green little men only. Please note, that only Russkies are eligible, so the prelim checkup taking 2 days by the Interior Ministry or Security Bureau applies (i.e. the payouts reflect only those captured last week).

It should be only "alive", as such people would be priceless as sources of information if faced with life in prison after shipping to Kyiv.

I still insist that the Kyiv government put together few hundred snipers and have some 50% or more occupying government buildings "little green people" shot by them simultaneously after prior 100% confirmation by the moles that they're Russian spetznaz commandos. This is fully doable.

The Kyiv administration would have demonstrated its total incompetence to rule the country if its SBU hadn't placed its agents among the separatists. Putler wouldn't have any recourse except to have Lie-vrow bark while the positive externality generated by such a measure would be the surrender of the drunken ragtag mob lured by the amnesty and catching the remaining "little green people" who managed to stay alive by the same mob eager to lay their dirty paws on the rewards.

And this will be the likely phase where Russia is pushed over the cliff. The US, Canada and the Nordic states won't sit on their hands as far as the Arctic is concerned.

I've just watched the news that Russia's ambassador to Canada arranged a meeting with the Canadian public, but was jeered and a woman threw a piece of garbage at him.

So far, Canada has expelled 21 Russian diplomats and Russia retaliated with the expulsion of only one Canadian, but it's expected that there will be more Canadian diplomats expelled from Moscow.

Canada's Foreign Minister John Baird is touring European NATO members consulting further military and economic measures to be applied against Russia in order to force it to de-escalate its meddling in eastern ans southern Ukraine. Canada is, so far, the bellwether of the anti-Putler crusade, not only in North America.

His is an issue of blocking his assets abroad more than delivering the body.

Joe Biden has confirmed today that the anti-money lanudering force pros will be allocated to the Ukraine project to make his, his fathers', his friends' (Arbuzov, Klimenko, Stavitsky, Kurchenko), Azarov's, Klyuev's et al. money unblocked and back to Ukraine.

The situation then took a turn for the worse on Easter Sunday after an alleged shootout in which three men died while guarding a checkpoint at Bylbasovka, near the rebel held town of Sloviansk.
-
An ALLEGED shootout and (further in the article) a REAL funeral for three persons...Hm...
By other sources, the shootout was not "alleged", and the killed people were three among the defenders (by other sources again: one dead and some injured) and two among the assailings (by other sources again, seven: some proud wounded heroes met the wrong doc...)...
Hm...

"these people are the silent and often frightened majority and that without Russian meddling “we could find a compromise”."

You know what, I'm going to have to say that these people need to stand up and speak out against Russian aggression if they want to maintain Ukraine's territorial integrity. If eastern Ukrainians don't speak for themselves and voice their opinions, then Putin surely will try to speak for them.

I can understand apathy in the east of Ukraine. They have now apparently few choices none of them very good. Go with the Russian thugs - not nice possibly for majority albeit this we will probably never know for sure - the second alternative i.e. thugs in Kiev (with small help from US advisers) will make sure this will not be considered seriously. Civil strife or even war? I suppose they would prefer to live in a country where the government officials did not consider the population serfs and where rule of law rather that rule of thugs prevailed. They would also prefer prosperity but neither of the available regime choices can offer that - they all are different but in two properties they struggle to be better - corruption and incompetence.

Of course they can chose to run to a friendly country EU or US would be nice - how likely is that to be a reliable alternative?
So no I do not see why anybody would go and fight for anything there.